The Quiet Walk Home
by BleachLover31
Summary: AU in the future where the dragons succeed in taking over the world and destroy most of it. Less than 5% of the population is still living and whether or not that is a lucky thing depends on the person you ask. Levy and Gajeel are survivors, but are they truly surviving at all? One-shot.


**A/N: Hey guys! I decided to write a quick one-shot that had been stuck in my mind, so no new chapter of Fancied Love, Hopeless Insanity until probably this weekend. Not gonna lie a kind of cried while writing this. Oh and if you would like, I got the idea for the fic while listening to _My Immotral by Evanescence _so you may want to listen to that while you read this. It may put you in the emotional mindset more. OK, I hope you enjoy this short little one-shot, and R&R. **

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The wind blew, but it did now blow through trees or leaves or grass; it blew through debris, the debris of what had once been all of Fiore, the debris that was now the norm for anyone who was still living. It had been only two years since the dragons had taken over and destroyed Fiore along with the rest of the world, but less than 5% of the population remained. Whether they had been lucky or not was up to the person you asked. Some we're grateful to have escaped death's grasp, but others couldn't wait to dive into his embrace.

Levy trudged through the desolate landscapes and the destroyed houses with Gajeel following shortly behind her. "We should start to look for some food for you, you haven't eaten in days." Gajeel said softly, as he touched Levy's shoulder. Levy nodded silently and turned to walk to the usual place they went to look for food.

"What about you…?" She asked quietly as she rummaged through the rubble.

Gajeel gave a small chuckle and replied, "I take care of myself; you know I'm fine." Levy cracked a small smile and nodded in agreement. After a couple of minutes, Levy managed to scrounge up something to keep her going for the day. It wasn't often that Levy had more than one or two meals a day anymore. Food sources were limited, and so far they hadn't stumbled upon any refugee camps.

Continuing on their daily trek and search for survivors the passed through more of the wreckage than usual. "We must have finally reached a city…" Gajeel observed from his place next to Levy. "I wonder if it could be…" Levy cut him off and finished the sentence for him.

"It's Magnolia." She uttered quietly, the wind almost drowning out her words completely. "I can still recognize it….or what's left of it at least." Surveying their surroundings, Levy noticed that there was not a single building left that was completely intact.

"Should we go check?" Gajeel softly spoke to Levy, bringing her attention back to him. "You never know, someone could have come back and made it there." Levy stood for a while, not saying anything. She looked up at the sky; the sky that had been dark for so long. The blue skies disappeared long ago, it was lucky if the sky was anything but a murky red, which today it was just the same old dull color.

Levy turned her attention back to the fallen city and shrugged, "Maybe." She set off on the once familiar route to the guild, Gajeel once again following silently behind her.

It took longer than it used to, trying to navigate the destroyed town was harder than it seemed, but they soon stood in front of the place they used to call home. The place where they talked, laughed, and even fought with their friends, their family. It had been reduced to nothingness. The banner disintegrated, the walls crushed into the ground. Nothing was left of it. Levy hung her head and her shoulders hunched up, her body began to convulse with silent sobs. Gajeel gently put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Shrimp", he tried to comfort her, but she shook her head.

"Everyone is gone…nothing is left" Levy pushed her messy, unkempt bangs from her face with both of her hands. Gajeel's hand remained on her shoulder.

"I'm not gone, I'm still here." He whispered to her, trying to console her in anyway, but Levy just shook her head.

Removing her hands from her head, Levy stared at her hands and began to count, "But Lucy, and Natsu, Jet, Droy, Cana, Gray, Erza …Wendy, L-Lilly." She began to sob again and stopped counting. Gajeel shushed her and ruffled her hair, but she simply shook her head again. "Mira…." Levy looked down at all her fingers extended. That was ten, ten already. Gajeel grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Levy, looking back and holding onto the past isn't good, it only brings more pain." Levy grabbed her head again as Gajeel talked, tears steadily streaming down her face, her face clenched so tightly that it began to hurt.

Levy couldn't take it anymore and she screamed out, "THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?" Levy looked up at him almost glaring, and he just looked back at her a little sadly.

"I'm always and will always be here for you, Shorty, you know that." Gajeel let go of Levy's shoulders and reached to ruffle her hair, but she slapped his hand away. A little shocked he looked at her; she was looking at the ground.

"But why…?" Levy asked, not moving an inch.

Gajeel reiterated her question, "Why…?"

"Why are you always here?" Levy raised her head and looked at Gajeel while asking her questions.

"Because you need me." Gajeel answered simply which made Levy chuckle slightly.

"You're right, I need you", she agreed, "but why…why must I still rely so heavily on you?"

Gajeel shrugged, "You just do, and you know that I'll always be there for you to rely on." He looked down at Levy and grinned. She remained silent and unmoving.

"That's the thing though…" Levy began again quietly.

"Levy," Gajeel stopped her, almost testily, "you don't want to go there."

"SHUT UP!" Levy gazed into his eyes with tears falling from hers once again. "YOU DON'T KNOW ME."

Gajeel's grin turned into a sad smile, "Of course I know you, Shorty, I'm a part of you."

Levy let out a harsh laugh through her tears, "You are, aren't you. The real you, he died…..a long time ago. He is gone, just like all of the others. It's just me. I'm the only one left."

"That's exactly while I'm still here though, so you aren't alone." Gajeel tried to comfort her as much as he could.

"Gajeel, you said yourself that holding onto the past brings more pain, and you were right. I can't do this anymore." The small mage shook her head slowly, conflicted inside of herself.

"Levy, you know what that would mea-"

"Of course, I know what it means!" She snapped at him.

"At night, I relive the event, the events of your death. Every. Single. Night. I see you die over and over again. I see the way you were; your facial expression, the look of terror in your eyes, terror for me not for you, until you glanced at me one last time and you were gone, just like that. You died right in front of me, and every time I close my eyes you are still dying in front of me. Night falls and I see you die, but sun rises and I see you like this. You aren't you anymore. You are just the you I need you to be. Every day, to see you alive and then die….I can't do it anymore." Levy was breathless after she poured out the conflict that had been consuming her.

Gajeel remained silent as emotions erupted from her. "No matter what I do, it is up to you what happens." Levy nodded in understanding and closed her eyes tightly.

"Gajeel is dead. He died two years ago. He died right in front of you. He is not alive any longer. He…..He is gone." As Levy finished a small wind picked up and blew through Levy's hair, ruffling it much like the man she loved used to. She tentatively opened her eyes to nothing. Nothing. Nothing was her world now. Looking back up at the land where her beloved guild used to stand, Levy smiled grimly as she swore she could hear the voices of those who had gone on ahead of her.

Levy turned around, and walked out of Magnolia, leaving behind her carefree friends, laughing, fighting, and drinking with each other playfully and the guild she so loved. Returning to the desolate world around her Levy continued her never-ending trek. Lost in her own thoughts she suddenly laughed. "I remember now. You were always here because you were the only thing keeping me going." She looked up at the muddy-red sky and smiled. A steady gust of wind blew through the debris and made Levy close her eyes with its strength. "I won't be long then, Gajeel."


End file.
